Sound reproducing and recording instrument.



H. G. WIBDBR. SOUND EEPBODUGING AND RECORDING INSTRUMENT.

AYPLIUATIOH FILED D130. 18, 1909.

Patented Dec. 1 2, 1911.

HENRY GEORGE \VIEDER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

SOUND REPRODUCING AND RECORDING INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1 2, 191 1.

Application filed December 18. 1909. Serial ll'o. 533.772.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it k own that I, llnxnr Gannon W'mnnn, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at- 17 Lanark Mansions, Shepherds Bush. London. in the counts of Middlesex. lngland. have invented a new and useful Improvement Relating to Sound Reproducing and Recording Instruments, of which the following is a speeifieation.

This invention relates to improvements in sound reproducing and recording devices sueh as gramophones, phonographs and the like, and especially relates to the sound box and tone arm employed in such devices.

The main objects of the invention are to improve the swivel connection of the sound arm which carries the diaphragm, to provide improved support for the earrier ol' the diaphragm lever and needle and to provide in proved re lient mounting for th element which carries the diaphragm and needle support.

'The invention further consists in pivotally connecting the portion of the. sound pipe which carries the sound box to the rest of the sound pipe in llt'll a manner that the two portions of said sound pipe are eo- I axial at the joint in their norn'ial working position. and whereby the gradual taper oi the sound pipe may he continued to the. sound box itself.

.e -ording to another part of the invention the needle carrier and diaphragm are mounted n a bar having two prop-Ming; knife edged arms bearing: in smlahl grooves;

formed one on a pin extending from the sound ox, and the other on a pin rarried by a bracket attached to. said sound box, said knife edges and their corresponding grooves being oppositely turned with respect. to each other, and so arranged that the. movementof the reeord against the needle tends to hold the bar more firmly in its hearings.

The invention further eonsists in mounting a diaphragm and needle carrying element upon the end of the sound tube resiliently in sueh a manner that it may nzove some what relatively to said end in a eireumferential direction but may not move out of its normal plane. By this method of mount ing the'entire movement of the needle in the direction which affects 'the diaphragm is transmitted to the diaphragm instead of some of the movement being absorbed in "moving the diaphragm earrja outof its proper plane as oeeurs in apparatus of this character at present in use.

The invention further eonsists in an it;- proved diaphragm for sound reprodueing and recording instruments consisting of a thin disk of wood. eoznposition or the like with a circular flange or ridge some (listanee within the periphery, the portion of the diaphragm within this flange or ridge being thiekened.

Referring now to the drawings:-Figure 1 is an elevation of a sound pipe. having a eontinual taper; Fig. 2 is a part seetion of l'ig. l, showing my improved swivel joint;

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged view of my improved needle mounting: Fig. 4.- is an elevation of my improved diaphragm carrying element with part of the bark eover removed; his. 5 is a seetion on the line -C'C of Fig. 4-: Fig. 5* is a seetion on the line l)- l oi" Fig. E. l; is a sea-Lion through my improved diaphragm.

According t the first part of my invention and. in order that the sound pipe (1. u ay he formed with a continual taper from where it joins the enlargement I), to the hark plate 5 of the diaphragm ('arrier 71.

Fig. -i. \Jlnn a porti n of it is arranged with a swivel j int. I arrangh-v the large end of the diapl: ;m carrying portion In of the sound tube 11. so that. it may he eo-axial in the w rking position with the part of the ipe a t whi h it pivoted and l arrange the ends Hr that they make a soeket joint. This may he done by formingon the end of the pipe an enlargement m, having a evlindrieal suriaee strut-k from an axis at. right angles to the axis of the jointed end of the pipe. This ('ylindrieal-portion m knu -kl into a. (tori-es )ondingly formed in-' terior of another enlargement 11 formed on the small end of the pipe 11. having two ends oarrying pivot serews 0. Fig. 1 whieh enter recesses not shown at. each side formed on.

the axis of the first eylindrieal enlargement m. From this sot'liet joint the pipe In gradually tapering down may be curved or straight aeeording to the construction of the partieular instrument used but for a disk record it is preferahly made with a bend, and. in any case is arranged so that when the needle is in operative position upon the record. the axes of the adjacen pieces of the pipe at the joint shall he eo-axial instead of at right angles as occurs in usual constructions.

When the device is arranged in a cabinet,-

.By arranging the knife. edges in the formed in the groove an additional joint asshown at p, in Fig. 1, of any convenient construction may be provided in order that the diaphragm carrier it may be swung out to a convenient position for adjustment.

' According to another part. of the invention the bar or the like, Fig. 3 which carries the diaphragm lever 1-, and the needle holder, is provided with two projecting knife edged arms 2 and '11 adapted to hear in grooves on the ends of the pins '1' and 2c. The knife edges f and u are arranged in opf .ite directions as shown, the one, 11., on

to. side of the carrier It. toward which the record moves (the direction of rotation of the record is shown by the arrows in Fi s. '2 and 3) being arranged with its edge toward the record, the pin in in which it bears being carried by a bracket in. while the her knifeedge if is arranged in the opposite di rection and bears upon the pin 1 projecting upon the diaphragm carrier Ir. The knife edges are preferably held toward their bearings by screws 3 with interposed springs. above mentioned manner it will be seen that the c ntact of the needle with the record while the latter is running tends to press the knife edges more firmly upon their bearings iustead'of tending to lift them against the resistanee of springs as occurs in the usual form of instrument. lligh notes are by this means more satisfactorily reproduced since chattering of the bearings is avoided. and the adverse etlect of any scratching which may occur is greatly reduced in that'th'e vibrations caused by scratching are not transmitted to the diaphragm. in piace of the coil springs shown plate springs may be used if desired.

In the further part of the invention relating to the resilient mounting of the element which carries the. diaphragm upon the member 3, over which slips the portion Z: of the sound pipe It, I term a concentric circular groove 4, and in the. adjacent. tare of the back plate 5 of the diaphragm carryin" member k 1 form a similar groove 6. \Vlthin the. groove "r of the member 3 are two projections 7 which extend into the groove 6 of the adjacent member Similar" projection but in different positions are (3 of this member These may conveniently take the form of screws 8, which pass through suitable slots in' the members 3. These screws are preferably surrounded by a sleeve 9 of resilient material such as rubber. la the grooves 4 and ll-tll't} springhutl'ers 10 su h as rubber. The projections 7, on the member 3, bear against. the one set of ends of the butters 10 or the like, while the screws 8 on the other member 5 act. as buttresses-tor the other ends to secure by Letters Patent. is:-'--

of the butters 10. The two members, 8 and ii, are clamped together face to face by'a ring 11, or the like, so that they cannotmove toward or away from one another although they may have some small rotary movement relatively toone another against the resistance of the resilient buffers 10. In conse quence of this device when the needle is in use a certain amount of yieldiugness is afforded to theneedle carrying member 5 in a circumferential direction about an axis passing centrally through or parallel with the diaphragm 12, although movement of the needle carrying member 5. in the direction which the needle tends to move in deflecting the diaphragm 1'3. is provided. a

In constructing a diaphragm according to this invention a disk of wood 12 is .pro-

vided some distance within its periphery with a circular concentric flange, 13. or ridge, which prevents warping of the diaphragm by atmospheric changes and the like. The portion of the disk 1;, within the ridge or flange 121. is prel'erably made somewhat thicker than the rest of the diaphragm. It is found that a wooden diaphragm of this character may be used for a long period without warping and the sounds reproduced by it are of an exceedingly mellow tone. instead of employing wood. how ever. tor the diaphragm, other non-un-tailic material or compositions. suclras "(iallalith" (which consists of carboii. milk and potat or the like) may be. used.

It will be seenlhat many modifications maybe made in themethod of carrying this invention into etl'ect; without in any way departing from the spirit of the ame.

hat. I claim as my invention and desire In a sound reproducing instrument the combination of a needle carrier: a bar carried by said carrier and provided with a hearing at each end; abutna-nts on opposite sides of said bar with which said bearing: contact, said bea ring and a utmeuts being so arranged that the action ot' the traveling record on the needle will tend to force each l ariug into a tirmer contact with its abutment; :1 spring for each bearing tending to force the same into contact with its abutment; means for adjusting the tension of said carrier provided with a thickened central portion and a flange extending out fr m said portion, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto et my hand in the presence of two witnesses. 

